After the alcohol that warmed our bodies up suitably, I felt all ready to crash into bed. The husband and I had wanted to wake up at 7am to run - hah! - that did not happen. The cold weather did not help (besides being just tired). The kids did not feel any fatigue, however, and were up promptly (every day actually) - they were very excited to play in this new home, and with their new friends. I loved how they all got along like fire.
When the husband and I did awaken, we decided to hit the local gym (with swimming pool) in the surburb, so off we went. We discovered Cannington Gym that came with a decent gym (hers) and an indoor heated pool (his) so we both clocked about an hour of work out. It took a lot for me to get my body warm and I'm glad that I managed to feel some body warmth and perspiration.
When we got back, the kids were already fed and we were also given our portion of home-made breakfast of eggs, beans, sausages and toast. So pampered!
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| The breakfast club |
After everyone got ready and changed, we were off! Today, we had planned a drive up to Swan Valley for a series of activities that will appeal to the old and young!
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| Happy passengers |
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| Snooze button hit |
Our first stop, Cuddly Farm. This came highly recommended by our hosts, as they felt that the upclose interaction the children will get surpasses just watching animals if we had gone to a zoo or an equivalent. I was not fussed, and upon arrival was quite happy to see how rustic the whole place looked. What made me happier was how the kids were so alive and free to interact and feed with the animals. It was amazing to watch them so carefree and happy!
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| Upclose & personal with the little animals |
There is a table that held little white buckets of feed (carrots, lettuce, veg) and everyone was free to pick them to feed the animals around the whole farm. The keepers kept refilling these buckets the whole time we were there and the kids went crazy feeding the animals non-stop!
At some points in the 2 hours we were there, the keepers also allowed the children to feed the baby animals milk through a bottle. Everyone was very enthusiastic to be part of it all.
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| Tiny enclosures only |
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| Hello goat |
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| Kid. Both the baby goats and the littlest of the children :P |
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J & his Kangeroo buddy.
(This pic cracks me up - actually, J was super reluctant to take a pic but he still did
so reluctantly cos I asked him to. I cannot believe that I managed to capture such a lovely
picture afterall! The rest I had were of one grumpy boy really haha.) |
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| Rabbit enclosure |
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| Feeding time |
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| So cute! |
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| Train ride! Loved how it's so simple/basic and colourful. |
The above train ride was really very simple - it was a tiny tour around the whole farm (took less than 5 minutes), but what made it cute was how it toured about and the tiny carriages just looked too adorable.
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| My baby boy and I |
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| Tractor in the playground |
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| Playground play |
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Rare pic of the husband and I.
Pic credit: J. |
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| Jumping castle fun |
By this stage, it was past 1pm and everyone was becoming hungry. We had prepared food of our own, and made the call to leave the farm to have lunch elsewhere, because otherwise, the children would not be able to concentrate to eat. They were way more interested to feed the animals and play than themselves.
We made a short drive to a little tasting bar about 10 minutes drive away. It was quiet (suited us well!) and we set up picnic at the tables. Lunch was croissants (from Coles) with ham/home-made chicken mayonnaise filling. We also had random chips and tim-tams to finish off. So simple, and tasty.
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| Lunch time! |
Of course, the highlight for us adults were the cheap tasting shots at $6/pop!
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| The happy husband |
After filling our tummies with food and drinks, we made a short drive to the nearby chocolate factory.
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| Family shot |
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| Free chocolate tasters yippee! |
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| Sugar high & silliness post chocolate consumption |
I remember the first time I came to this chocolate factory, 6 years ago with my family. Everything felt familiar, yet different. The company was different, the kids are older... and I marvel at how nice it is to have memories to fall back upon; as we add this to our memory banks.
We bought some chocolate+nut concoctions, then decided to hit a winery before heading back. It was a great idea, as we capitalised on the sun still being up, lovely weather and the quiet day. Our hosts mentioned that if we had come to the winery on the weekend, it'd be super packed with people and I can imagine why! Perhaps next time we can come again to join in the crowded buzz.
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| Amazing sunset |
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| Cheers! |
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| Tree climbing, cos why not? |
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| Playing hide and seek |
We spent the last of the sunshine at this winery. The kids played and ran amok, while the adults nursed their drinks and chatted. The weather was amazing, the kids' laughters were so lovely to hear, and I truly felt so blessed and happy to be able to enjoy this moment. The husband opted for a short snooze in the car and when he awakened, we got ready to head back - just in time as the sun had gone down and it was getting chilly.
Dinner for the evening was steamboat, which tasted so good! Perhaps it's the holiday that makes food taste good, but I think it's also the amazing warmth we were hosted with by the amazing T family.
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| Steamboat dinner |
After dinner, we had the usual fanfare of washing the children up, play and putting them to bed. And again, the adults set ourselves up for a round of drinks with chit-chat.
That night, I definitely went to bed with my tummy and heart full of love and happiness.
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